List of VFL debuts in 1944

The 1944 Victorian Football League (VFL) season was the 48th season of the VFL. The season saw 123 Australian rules footballers make their senior VFL debut and a further 21 players transfer to new clubs having previously played in the VFL.

Club	VFL debuts	Change of club
Carlton	11	0
Collingwood	10	0
Essendon	12	0
Fitzroy	5	3
Footscray	7	2
Geelong	3	2
Hawthorn	13	2
Melbourne	14	1
North Melbourne	12	3
Richmond	11	0
South Melbourne	13	1
St Kilda	12	7
Total	123	21

Name	Club	Age at debut	Round debuted	Games	Goals	Notes
Jack Conley	Carlton	23 years, 278 days	12^[1]	135	104
Doug Williams	Carlton	21 years, 163 days	11^[2]	120	7
Herb Turner	Carlton	22 years, 305 days	1^[3]	86	101
Ern Henfry	Carlton	23 years, 33 days	17^[4]	84	20
Alec Way	Carlton	18 years, 274 days	2^[5]	32	27
Bert Lucas	Carlton	22 years, 61 days	5^[6]	7	5
Les McCann	Carlton	24 years, 118 days	7^[7]	7	1
Ernie Spence	Carlton	25 years, 228 days	1^[8]	4	0
Les Marden	Carlton	24 years, 282 days	9^[9]	2	0
Les Gregory	Carlton	29 years, 274 days	17^[10]	2	0
Harold McDonald	Carlton	21 years, 34 days	1^[11]	1	0
Dave Newman	Collingwood	21 years, 82 days	3^[12]	49	32
Bill Dalkin	Collingwood	22 years, 173 days	1^[13]	30	10
George Nelson	Collingwood	25 years, 10 days	1^[14]	24	1
Bob Galbally	Collingwood	23 years, 144 days	6^[15]	8	26	Brother of Jack and Frank Galbally.
Jack Synon	Collingwood	19 years, 318 days	6^[16]	7	0
Ron Hibbert	Collingwood	20 years, 64 days	4^[17]	5	2
Ray Riddell	Collingwood	25 years, 104 days	10^[18]	5	0
Jim Tibballs	Collingwood	21 years, 254 days	5^[19]	4	1
Jack Nilson	Collingwood	25 years, 150 days	15^[20]	4	0
Arthur Robbins	Collingwood	24 years, 134 days	7^[21]	2	0
Bob Syme	Essendon	19 years, 179 days	4^[22]	116	59
Herbie Tonkes	Essendon	23 years, 32 days	1^[23]	37	0
Terry Healy	Essendon	22 years, 358 days	8^[24]	15	1
Russell Hill	Essendon	24 years, 192 days	16^[25]	14	1
Ray Finn	Essendon	18 years, 132 days	2^[26]	10	14
Alan Randall	Essendon	19 years, 47 days	6^[27]	9	0
Alan Shaw	Essendon	22 years, 55 days	13^[28]	5	0
Jack Henry	Essendon	21 years, 176 days	11^[29]	4	1
Jack Symons	Essendon	19 years, 306 days	3^[30]	3	0
Ron Kennedy	Essendon	24 years, 241 days	6^[31]	3	1
Jack Vinall	Essendon	23 years, 153 days	4^[32]	2	1
Ken Collicoat	Essendon	24 years, 343 days	8^[33]	2	1
Norm Johnstone	Fitzroy	17 years, 181 days	8^[34]	228	185	Grandfather of Travis Johnstone.
Noel Jarvis	Fitzroy	19 years, 216 days	11^[35]	159	31
Jack Symons	Fitzroy	32 years, 72 days	2^[36]	36	58	Previously played for Richmond.
Wally Bristowe	Fitzroy	23 years, 23 days	3^[37]	18	14	Previously played for Hawthorn.
Laurie Bickerton	Fitzroy	26 years, 298 days	5^[38]	12	0
Charlie Linney	Fitzroy	18 years, 269 days	5^[39]	12	0
Jack Harrow	Fitzroy	23 years, 105 days	11^[40]	2	0
Billy Walsh	Fitzroy	33 years, 78 days	1^[41]	1	0	Previously played for Melbourne.
George McLaren	Footscray	19 years, 80 days	6^[42]	139	24
Bill Wood	Footscray	22 years, 193 days	3^[43]	115	294
Dick Wearmouth	Footscray	18 years, 8 days	3^[44]	100	27
Jack Sutton	Footscray	21 years, 184 days	6^[45]	13	8
Harry Chalmers	Footscray	24 years, 102 days	11^[46]	13	3	Previously played for North Melbourne.
Don Henderson	Footscray	25 years, 272 days	1^[47]	11	2
Gerry Sexton	Footscray	24 years, 102 days	11^[48]	10	0
Alf Benison	Footscray	25 years, 341 days	4^[49]	9	6	Previously played for South Melbourne.
Mal McBean	Footscray	22 years, 299 days	13^[50]	4	0
Jim Fitzgerald	Geelong	19 years, 144 days	1^[51]	108	14
Doug Brown	Geelong	20 years, 250 days	1^[52]	70	108	Previously played for Fitzroy.
Jim Munday	Geelong	26 years, 187 days	1^[53]	44	26
Ralph Patman	Geelong	28 years, 117 days	1^[54]	38	11	Previously played for Fitzroy.
Jack Sing	Geelong	19 years, 216 days	1^[55]	33	1
Ted Fletcher	Hawthorn	18 years, 166 days	4^[56]	129	51
Malcolm Worrall	Hawthorn	18 years, 209 days	1^[57]	80	9
Roy Baldwin	Hawthorn	17 years, 29 days	17^[58]	41	6
Andy Brannan	Hawthorn	24 years, 351 days	3^[59]	31	39	Previously played for Richmond.
Ken Lippiatt	Hawthorn	24 years, 219 days	15^[60]	30	0
Tom Spear	Hawthorn	24 years, 292 days	18^[61]	30	0
Ken Bodger	Hawthorn	19 years, 213 days	11^[62]	12	9
Reg Barnes	Hawthorn	23 years, 164 days	4^[63]	6	0
Jim Maguire	Hawthorn	25 years, 263 days	12^[64]	6	4
Harry Dwan	Hawthorn	25 years, 164 days	4^[65]	3	0	Previously played for Richmond.
Bert Amey	Hawthorn	19 years, 261 days	15^[66]	3	0
Ron Alsop	Hawthorn	28 years, 11 days	1^[67]	2	0
Vic Atkinson	Hawthorn	23 years, 71 days	6^[68]	1	0
Bob Harland	Hawthorn	28 years, 108 days	7^[69]	1	0
Alvan Whittle	Hawthorn	24 years, 306 days	12^[70]	1	0
Frank Kennedy	Melbourne	23 years, 280 days	1^[71]	36	11
Ivan Porter	Melbourne	25 years, 304 days	10^[72]	25	31
Es Downey	Melbourne	20 years, 283 days	3^[73]	22	7
Ron Hall	Melbourne	24 years, 103 days	13^[74]	17	2
Jack Stock	Melbourne	20 years, 216 days	6^[75]	14	0
Clem Conroy	Melbourne	17 years, 165 days	1^[76]	12	1
Percy Taylor	Melbourne	25 years, 26 days	1^[77]	9	20	Previously played for Geelong and South Melbourne.
Lloyd Bennett	Melbourne	28 years, 56 days	5^[78]	9	4
Col Galbraith	Melbourne	24 years, 33 days	1^[79]	4	0
Jack Compton	Melbourne	26 years, 124 days	7^[80]	3	2
Frank McGrath	Melbourne	26 years, 258 days	1^[81]	2	1
Tony Bizzaca	Melbourne	23 years, 53 days	10^[82]	2	1
Neil Bencraft	Melbourne	19 years, 241 days	14^[83]	2	3
Harry New	Melbourne	24 years, 48 days	18^[84]	2	0
Jim Ryan	Melbourne	25 years, 356 days	16^[85]	1	0
Don Condon	North Melbourne	21 years, 55 days	1^[86]	131	218
Keith McKenzie	North Melbourne	22 years, 10 days	1^[87]	130	12
Ted Jarrard	North Melbourne	22 years, 140 days	18^[88]	130	11
Fred Fairweather	North Melbourne	30 years, 352 days	3^[89]	54	14
Alf Clay	North Melbourne	30 years, 161 days	7^[90]	31	16	Previously played for Hawthorn, Fitzroy and Footscray.
Cam Bogie	North Melbourne	29 years, 128 days	15^[91]	19	2
Ted Turner	North Melbourne	22 years, 222 days	13^[92]	16	1
Ted Thomas	North Melbourne	22 years, 133 days	9^[93]	11	0
Herbie Wood	North Melbourne	23 years, 272 days	1^[94]	10	1
Jack Hunter	North Melbourne	29 years, 214 days	1^[95]	7	13	Previously played for Essendon.
Ken Watkins	North Melbourne	24 years, 277 days	3^[96]	5	0
Eric Haggis	North Melbourne	29 years, 14 days	2^[97]	4	0
Harold Daly	North Melbourne	28 years, 292 days	14^[98]	2	0	Previously played for Hawthorn.
Clive Smith	North Melbourne	20 years, 330 days	17^[99]	2	0
Allan Wilson	North Melbourne	28 years, 9 days	1^[100]	1	0
Bill Wilson	Richmond	19 years, 229 days	5^[101]	185	225
Fred Cook	Richmond	21 years, 154 days	1^[102]	81	11	Twin brother of Keith Cook.
Bob Wiggins	Richmond	18 years, 185 days	16^[103]	68	2
Les Jones	Richmond	21 years, 337 days	18^[104]	59	23
Keith Cook	Richmond	21 years, 154 days	18^[105]	26	1	Twin brother of Fred Cook.
Laurie Taylor	Richmond	27 years, 167 days	1^[106]	20	48	Brother of Don Taylor.
Ray Bower	Richmond	21 years, 129 days	2^[107]	13	8
Percy Bice	Richmond	28 years, 298 days	10^[108]	6	0
Kevin Deagan	Richmond	20 years, 182 days	8^[109]	5	3
Frank Hughes, Jr.	Richmond	23 years, 129 days	7^[110]	3	0
Allen Lewis	Richmond	27 years, 231 days	7^[111]	3	0
Pat Bourke	South Melbourne	20 years, 287 days	16^[112]	36	0
Bob Matlock	South Melbourne	25 years, 298 days	4^[113]	35	0
Norm Duncan	South Melbourne	21 years, 177 days	6^[114]	19	15
Jack Danckert	South Melbourne	21 years, 357 days	9^[115]	13	0
Lyal Keighran	South Melbourne	20 years, 237 days	1^[116]	10	6
Jimmy McKnight	South Melbourne	21 years, 3 days	15^[117]	8	0
Lou Frost	South Melbourne	27 years, 103 days	1^[118]	6	0
Jack Sheedy	South Melbourne	17 years, 242 days	4^[119]	6	7
Jack Oatey	South Melbourne	23 years, 279 days	5^[120]	5	4
Joe De Medici	South Melbourne	24 years, 55 days	12^[121]	5	3	Previously played for Footscray.
Max Rippon	South Melbourne	23 years, 250 days	7^[122]	4	0
Pat Grace	South Melbourne	20 years, 76 days	15^[123]	4	0
Len O'Shea	South Melbourne	24 years, 188 days	13^[124]	2	1
Colin Churchett	South Melbourne	18 years, 181 days	13^[125]	1	0
Des Nisbet	St Kilda	22 years, 260 days	11^[126]	110	6
Peter Bennett	St Kilda	17 years, 321 days	4^[127]	103	258	Represented Australia in water polo at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.
Wal Armour	St Kilda	23 years, 15 days	2^[128]	33	36
Bob Bibby	St Kilda	19 years, 46 days	5^[129]	32	3
Jack Howe	St Kilda	22 years, 113 days	11^[130]	23	30
Bill Wells	St Kilda	29 years, 240 days	12^[131]	22	2	Previously played for North Melbourne.
Gordon Geddes	St Kilda	21 years, 338 days	6^[132]	20	0
Ted Rippon	St Kilda	30 years, 63 days	9^[133]	17	19	Previously played for Essendon.
Ray Gracie	St Kilda	26 years, 248 days	1^[134]	14	8
Arch Knott	St Kilda	28 years, 185 days	14^[135]	12	1	Previously played for Fitzroy.
Brendon Bermingham	St Kilda	30 years, 36 days	9^[136]	8	1
Chris Lamborn	St Kilda	28 years, 61 days	5^[137]	4	1	Previously played for North Melbourne and South Melbourne.
Peter Morcom	St Kilda	20 years, 284 days	16^[138]	3	4
George Grainger	St Kilda	22 years, 316 days	2^[139]	2	0
George Wilson	St Kilda	23 years, 315 days	2^[140]	2	0	Previously played for Collingwood.
Ray Pearce	St Kilda	27 years, 269 days	8^[141]	2	0
Bernie Fyffe	St Kilda	22 years, 241 days	16^[142]	2	3	Previously played for Fitzroy.
Les Hazelwood	St Kilda	23 years, 331 days	14^[143]	1	1	Previously played for South Melbourne.
Jack Indian	St Kilda	18 years, 86 days	18^[144]	1	0

List of VFL debuts in 1944

Debuts

References

Related Articles